The Love of the Children of Death and the Sea
by elfqueen13
Summary: Follow along as the history between Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, and Ciella Jackson, daughter of Poseidon and sister of Percy Jackson, develops and the two children of the Big Three become closer.
1. Chapter 1

They were working with Percy, Annabeth, and several of the senior counselors to deal with a large group of monsters. Eventually, though, Ciella and Nico were weak enough that they would do more harm than good staying in the battle.

"Both of you, take a pegasus and fly back to Camp. No protests. I'll let Chiron know you're on your way. Now GO!" ordered Percy, seeing their state. He felt kind of guilty for them having to come in the first place, even though they were children of the Big Three, as both of them had had the flu a couple of days ago.

Seeing the look on Percy's face, they complied. Flying over a desert (AN: I'm Canadian, so I don't know much about the geography of the States. The desert is there purely for story purposes), Ciella got a really bad feeling, just before Nico was blasted off the pegasus. She turned and saw that they were being pursued (AN: Can't think of a monster that can fly but that's what it was).

Before she knew it, she too was torn from the back of the pegasus, and the desert sand rushed up to meet her.

*I am a line break*

Ciella blinked, the first thing she saw that she was locked in a CAGE!

"Let me go!" she screamed, thrashing against the excruciatingly tight chains with large balls of metal on the ends, and hanging her from her hands, leaving her sagging a foot above the ground.

"Don't worry, I will," growled the monster entering the cage with a wicked-looking torture knife in hand. "But first..."

She could only scream in pain.

*I am a line break*

Percy and the others arrived back at Camp only to find that Ciella and Nico had never made it back, although their pegasus had. He paled when he heard the news. This couldn't be good.

*I am a line break*

Nico staggered to his feet, cursing in Greek, Italian, and English (AN: as well as all the other languages he could possibly know. Rick only told us those three.). He had all the supplies they'd had, which meant that Ciella didn't have anything. His blood ran cold as he heard a scream- Ciella.

He'd secretly had a crush on the daughter of Poseidon for some time, and his feelings only grew stronger as he ran to where the scream had come from.

The son of Hades arrived in time to see Ciella scream again- a sound of pure agony- as the monster in front of her dragged a knife through her flesh. She slumped against the chains, unconscious. Before she passed out, though, her eyes met Nico's, and the look in them would haunt him forever. They were empty, as though her soul had given up. But there was also a plea for help.


	2. Chapter 2

*Next Day*

Percy was talking to Chiron when they received the Iris message.

"Where is my son?" demanded Hades, Lord of the Dead.

They started to explain, when another Iris message appeared, this one from Poseidon, quite worried about his daughter.

Both gods said that they couldn't sense the missing demigods. If two of the Big Three, and their fathers, no less, didn't know where they were...

*I am a line break*

The torture was repeated, this time for longer. Nico could only watch as the girl he secretly loved was put through such agony, and slowly lure the monsters out of their camp to destroy them one by one, slowly thinning out their ranks, unable to Iris message for help.

*Third Day*

Chiron decided that Percy had fretted enough, and gently told him to go teach swordfighting, promising to call him immediately if anything came up.

*I am a line break*

Nico had thinned the monsters' numbers enough that he could rescue Ciella. He charged into the encampment, mowing down anything that got in his way.

He open the cage and cut Ciella free, lowering her to the ground. Feeding her some of the ambrosia he had, he picked her up and carried her to the edge of the camp, hushing her attempts to say something. Nico leaned her against a sand dune as he cast his gaze around for shadows dark enough to travel through as gently and easily as possible. Yes, in other words, high quality shadows. The quality totally affects the travel.

Hearing movement behind him, the son of Hades whipped around, only to see an arrow heading straight for his chest, already too close to evade. His eyes widened in shock, then horror, as Ciella jumped in front of him, taking the arrow in her side.

His rage grew until it could no longer be contained. He destroyed the final monster, the fiend that had shot the arrow, then rushed back to Ciella's side.

"Why did you take that arrow for me?" he asked softly, cradling her head.

"We couldn't have you going to your father permanently, now could we," the daughter of Poseidon rasped. She had also secretly loved Nico, and lightly brushed her lips against his as darkness claimed her, possibly for good.

Shaking with anger, fear, and worry, Nico shadow-traveled them to the Camp Half-Blood infirmary. Before reeling over from exhaustion, he saw the concerned faces of the healers from the Apollo cabin.


	3. Chapter 3

Percy was sparring with Clarisse as a demonstration to his swordfighting class when Annabeth rushed into the arena and gasped out three words.

"Ciella... Nico... infirmary," she managed between pants.

Without missing a beat, Percy capped Riptide, shouted for Clarisse to take over, and was out the door.

He arrived at the infirmary, and asking Will Solace for directions, ran to Ciella's room. He found Nico pacing anxiously in the hallway outside.

The son of Hades briefly looked up, said, "Hey Percy," and continued wearing a hole in the floor.

Percy grabbed him by the shoulders. "Nico, where were you? What happened to Ciella? How is she?"

"I'll explain later, I'll explain later, and I have no idea."

Just then, the door opened, and Kayla from Apollo cabin poked her head out. "You can come in now, but be very, very quiet. She needs rest more than anything."

Nodding impatiently, the two boys pushed past her and into the room.

Ciella lay on the bed, so pale she could have been dead. Bandages were wrapped around the entirety of both her arms, her lower ribcage, her lower legs as well, and a wet cloth rested on her forehead.

"The most serious injury was the arrow. It turns out it was poisoned, but we got it out in time," said Kayla, closing the door behind them.

"Arrow?!" exclaimed Percy, glaring at Nico, who had collapsed into the chair next to Ciella's bed.

"She took it for me," he explained miserably, voice muffled by his hands, held over his face.

"Di Angelo, you owe me an explanation later," said Percy. "I'm going to go tell Annabeth and Chiron she's alright."

Following Percy out, Kayla said to Nico, "Call me if she gets worse."

He nodded, gazing at Ciella's motionless form with deep regret in his eyes.


	4. Chapter 4

When Ciella woke up, the first thing she noticed was that she couldn't feel her bandaged left arm, that she could barely feel her also bandaged right arm, that her lower legs were bandaged, that her lower ribcage was bandaged and hurt like Hades, and that she could barely breathe because of said hurt. The second thing she noticed was that, sitting next to her bed, was Nico di Angelo. On the face of the son of Hades was an expression of pure worry, more intense than she'd ever seen.

"Hey," she rasped in a whisper.

"Thank the gods you're awake. I felt... I felt you almost die," sobbed Nico in relief.

Wait. Nico di Angelo, sobbing? And was that a tear under his eye? No no no, that simply wouldn't do. Ciella reached up and cupped his chin with her palm, wiping her thumb under his eye. He gripped her hand, and when she removed her hand, he kept holding hers.

"You should rest," Nico said softly.

"Will you be here when I wake up?"

"They'll have to send me to my father permanently for me not to."

With a smile on her face, the daughter of Poseidon fell asleep, the son of Hades following soon after, their hands still held in that of the other.

*I am a line break*

Some time later, Percy and Annabeth peeked in to see how Ciella was doing. They tiptoed away and Annabeth said what they were both thinking.

"Looks like Nico found his someone."

*I am a line break*

Meanwhile, somewhere on Olympus, Aphrodite, goddess of Love, giggled, saying, "Ciellico is now on my top ten couples list. They're sooo cute together!"

*Two Days Later*

Two days had passed since Ciella had woken up, during which Nico hardly left her side. The daughter of Poseidon was now well enough for her debriefing.

Chiron, Percy, and Annabeth joined Nico by Ciella's bed, on which she was propped up on some pillows. The debriefing went without a hitch until it got to the torture (in other words, it didn't go well for any significant amount of time AT ALL). When she had to describe the terrible agony she had been put through, she sobbed and buried her face in Nico's shoulder, throwing her arms around him. Gently rubbing her back, he explained in as little detail as possible what had happened. Their faces went from curiosity, to shock, to horror. Silently bearing the guilt of having her relive the terrible experience, they left, closing the door behind themselves.

Slowly, Ciella calmed down enough to meet Nico's eyes. Almost subconsciously, they both leaned forward and (AN: and now, the moment you've all been waiting for...) their lips met.


	5. Chapter 5

"Ciella?" asked Percy as he poked his head in.

She looked up from her book, her face pale and her voice weak. "Hey Percy. Chiron, Nico, Annabeth."

Percy turned around to see the latter three behind him, the foremost of the three in full centaur mode.

"Ciella, Kayla said that you should be well enough to get out of bed and leave your room," explained Annabeth as they all entered.

Percy and Nico grabbed Ciella's arms to support her as she slowly swung her legs from beneath the covers and tried to stand, only to have her knees buckle. Each with one of her arms around his shoulders; they helped the daughter of Poseidon out of the room, down the hallway, and onto the porch, where they lowered her onto a deck chair.

After Percy, Annabeth, and Chiron left them alone to go do their own things, Nico and Ciella didn't move from their spots- Ciella a deck chair and Nico leaning against the wall- until Ciella spoke up.

"Nico? There's something I have to tell you."

"I need to tell you something too."

(AN: and now, the second moment you've all been waiting for...) "I love you," they both said at the same time.

*I am a line break*

When they eventually went out, somehow every single person found out.

"Piper, do something, please! Your siblings are going to drive me crazy with their squealing about us," Ciella begged the head of Aphrodite cabin.

"I'll do my best," she promised.

(AN: just thought I should mention, this takes place after Heroes of Olympus)

"Thanks," came Nico's voice from behind them. Walking up to Ciella, he took her hand and asked, "Ready to go?"

"Always."


End file.
